


From the Spectre Office

by SifaShep



Series: Merc!Shepard AU [3]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Gen, Spectre - Freeform, alternative universe, merc!shepard AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-03-23
Packaged: 2018-05-28 14:04:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6332065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SifaShep/pseuds/SifaShep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A snippet set in the Merc!Shepard AU. Captain David Anderson speaks with two Spectres about a new problem brewing in the Terminus System.</p><p>Who’s Gufus Nax? He’s one of my OCs for this particular AU. (My ME Multiplayer Volus Engineer)</p>
            </blockquote>





	From the Spectre Office

_Anderson. Human. Spectre status recognized._

Captain David Anderson strode into the Spectre Office, just like he had done for the past two decades of his career.  He nodded at the hasty salutes thrown his way from Spectre candidates.

 _God, they’re getting younger and younger every day._ Anderson would have asked them if there was anything he could do to make their lives any easier. They all knew the sacrifices one made as a Spectre. It was part of the job.

Today, Anderson had other things on his mind.

“Ten-hut!” shouted a high-pitched voice. “Captain on deck!”

Anderson waved his hand as the candidates jumped to salute. “At ease, everyone. Is Spectre Nihlus here?”

“He’s in the back office with Spectre Goof.”

His mouth twitched in humor, but he managed to keep his tone stern. “That’s _Spectre_ Gufus Nax to you. Guff-us, _guff_ rhymes with _tough_. You don’t see many Volus Spectres, he deserves your respect. That includes correctly pronouncing his name. Is that clear?”

The recruits winced at the reminder. Anderson didn’t have to raise his tone to express his disapproval. “Understood, sir!”

“Good. As you were, then.”

He shook his head as he made his way to the back office. The Council Spectres were still a long way from the integrated unit proposed in the Charter. Anderson had been the first Human Spectre, inducted nearly twenty years before. Now there was a handful, plus a Volus and even a vorcha, but old ways of thinking died slowly.

 _To hear people like Saren, you’d think we Humans should have stayed in the solar system for the next millennium._ Anderson shook his head. That was his job, changing ingrained prejudices one step at a time.

But damn, he hated playing politics.

Two voices floated in from the office door. The first one vibrating deep and sonorous, the other raspy and harsh. Anderson fought against another smile as he stepped into the room. The Spectres in question sat side by side, and no two were so different. Nihlus Kryik, a seven-foot tall Turian, long and lean build somehow folded into a chair meant for Humans. Gufus Nax, three and a half feet of Volus muscle in a pressure suit, his short legs not even touching the floor.

No one expected the two to get along so well. Even Anderson was surprised at their easy camaraderie. Yet somehow they did.

“No, don’t get up. No protocol for you two, you know that.” Anderson chuckled as he sat in his usual place behind the desk.

Gufus Nax wheezed like an asthmatic walrus, but his words came out clearly.  "Good. One of these days, I will put a seat in here that’s actually comfortable.“

Nihlus’s mandibles flared out in his version of a smile. “I’m sure you can negotiate a trade with one of your family’s contacts, Gufus.”

He made a dismissive gesture with one arm. “ _Bah._ They’d find the most obnoxious one and use their skills of guilty persuasion to make me accept it.”

“What…pastel pink with gold sparkles, complete with step-stool and a drink holder?”

Anderson snorted in laughter. Nihlus’s sense of humor was an acquired taste. The dry tone made it difficult to sense whether or not he _was_ joking. Gufus chose to take the remark seriously, as usual.

“Most likely. I’d have to install a practical massager, perhaps a complete set of diagnostic tools and a weapons calibrator.”

“Vega would like that. Williams too.” Anderson shook his head, then got down to business. “We’ve had reports of increased merc activity in the Terminus Systems. Usually, that isn’t anything new, but our contacts on Omega think someone’s on the rise.”

Nihlus leaned back with a sober expression. “On _Omega_? Right under Aria T'Loak’s nose? She won’t like that at all. If it’s a rival, she’ll take care of it before long.”

“That’s the thing, Nihlus…Alliance Intel doesn’t think it’s a rival, but an _ally_. A powerful one, at that, and it’d spell trouble for our joint operations out there.” Anderson called up the data on his pad and handed it to Gufus. “Omega’s seeing an increase in all sorts of cargo. Weapons, raw materials, fabrication components.”

The Volus glanced over the information, his breathing echoing in his filter. “Yes, my family conducts business out of Omega. They mentioned an increase…but it comes and goes in cycles. This much, though…if Aria is planning to expand her operations…this is worrying.”

“I doubt she’s opening up a new venture out of the goodness of her heart,” Nihlus remarked. “Do we already have anyone out there, Captain Anderson?”

“Spectre Alenko is investigating rumors of the vorcha mafia on the station, but it wouldn’t help to send some back-up. Gufus, you have the perfect excuse to be out there. I can send either Williams or Vega with you. Your choice.”

Gufus didn’t smile, but his eyes narrowed in the Volus way of amused humor.  "I would prefer Vega, if you don’t mind. He tends to draw attention away from me.“

"Vega it is, then. I’ll let him know; make all the arrangements you need. Good luck, Gufus, and good hunting.”

Gufus nodded and hoisted his heavy body out of the chair with an effort. “I’ll report when I get there, Captain. Until then.”

After he left, Nihlus inclined his head at Anderson and asked, “Well, you didn’t call me here to give Gufus a rousing send-off now, did you?”

“Actually, no. You’re being sent on a different mission, Nihlus, and since Gufus picked Vega, Williams will accompany you.”

“Fine by me. She’s a damn good soldier and an excellent Spectre. Where are we going?”

Anderson didn’t smile. “Ilium. For different reasons.”


End file.
